Spending cuts are among several strategies Neuhaus included in a budget that stays under the tax cap
GOSHEN – Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus presented his proposed 2016 county budget that will avoid layoffs, cut spending by $7.5 million, invests $105,000 to strengthen the three cities, and focus on tourism.
The property tax levy would go up about two percent.
The $725.3 million spending plan fights childhood hunger, sells unused assets and properties and stays under the state cap.
“Last year we really had a catastrophic budget crisis and now what you are seeing is we took some really drastic steps,” Neuhaus said during the Wednesday evening presentation. “We shed 300 employees since last year. That saved us tens of millions of dollars. We also renegotiated contracts; we did a whole bunch of different things; made difficult decisions last year; really did more with less. Now Orange County is definitely heading in the right direction. We are not out of the woods completely, but we can definitely see the clearing. Orange County’s best days are ahead of us.”
County Legislature Chairman Stephen Brescia, a Republican like Neuhaus, was pleased with what he heard.
“We are under the cap. It’s a homerun. It right-sizes county government,” Brescia said.
Democratic Minority Leader Christopher Eachus was also generally happy with what Neuhaus had to say.
“We are starting on a much better footing than we did in the past. We are not screaming about layoffs and huge deficits and so on like that,” Eachus said. “I agree that we have created very positive opportunities here in Orange County over this last year, which is going to increase revenue,” he said.
Now the legislature and its financial consultants will go over the spending plan before sending it back to the county executive and then vote on the final budget in about two months.
